Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Partners Announce Results of Joit Initiative, Continued Resolve to Combat Carjacking in Essex County

Forty-two Individuals Charged Since Formation of Task Force
With Carjacking or Related Offenses

NEWARK, N.J. – Law enforcement representatives, including investigators and
prosecutors at the federal, state, and local level, united today to announce the results to date of a
joint task force initiative aimed at reducing carjackings and other crime in Newark and
surrounding areas, New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Joining the U.S. Attorney in the announcement were numerous leaders of the law
enforcement community, representing a commitment to a cooperative model combining
intelligence and resources to combat violent crime in the state of New Jersey.

Those present included: New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow; Acting Essex County
Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray; FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward; Newark Police
Director Garry McCarthy; New Jersey State Police Major Matt Wilson; Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Matthew W. Horace; DEA Acting
Special Agent in Charge John G. McCabe, Jr.; Acting New Jersey Marshal Donald Rackley;
Essex County Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura; and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s
Homeland Security Investigations Deputy Special Agent in Charge Mark Witzal.
In December 2010, Essex County, specifically Newark, experienced a marked increase in
the incidence of carjackings. In response to the spike, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and
other federal law enforcement agencies came together with the Essex County Prosecutor’s
Office, the Newark Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, and other state and local law
enforcement entities to form a carjacking task force.

The continuing initiative and related investigations have led to charges against 42
individuals. Nine individuals currently face federal charges for carjacking, and three face federal
charges for related crimes. The state has brought charges against one of those individuals and an
additional 22 adults and 8 juveniles for carjacking-related offenses, and is seeking to prosecute
the juveniles as adults.

U.S. Attorney Fishman stated: “It is intolerable when violent crime holds our
neighborhoods hostage. Our joint mission is clear: to take carjackers off the street as soon as
possible, and to keep them off the street for as long as possible. If you’re thinking about
carjacking, think again - you will get caught, and your punishment could include lengthy federal
time in a prison far away from New Jersey.”

“People living and working in Essex County ought to be able to drop their children off at
school or day care without worrying about being the victim of a carjacking,” said Acting Essex
County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray. “That is why the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office has
worked with our partners in law enforcement to tackle what is admittedly a very difficult
problem. We are not declaring victory. We are simply reaffirming our commitment to prosecute
those who have been arrested.”

Michael B. Ward, Special Agent In Charge of the FBI’s Newark Division, stated: “The
success of this initiative is not measured in terms of arrests or other traditional crime statistics.
Rather, its true value is reflected in New Jersey law enforcement’s ability to collectively merge
resources and surge when necessary in the face of an evolving threat. The arrests announced
today reflects the resolve of law enforcement to expend any resources necessary to address
carjackings. Individuals who participate in carjackings will find they will be aggressively
pursued and strategically prosecuted by a team of local, state, and federal law enforcement
personnel committed to the task.”

Director McCarthy stated: “I am once again pleased by the success of the Carjacking Task
Force, which is just one of many tools in our department to prevent and reduce carjackings.
While we take pride in these figures and how they validate our efforts and strategies, they also
remind us that we still have a lot more work ahead of us. We will continue to enlist the support
of our citizens, clergy, and grass roots organizations to join us in our efforts to reclaim each of
our neighborhoods as we work together to improving the quality for all citizens.”

Those charged in federal criminal Complaints with carjacking include:

• Amonra Jackson, 29, of Newark – charged on December 22, 2010, with one count of theft
of a motor vehicle by force, violence and intimidation, and one count of being a convicted
felon in possession of a firearm.

• Jahlil Thomas, 21, of Newark – charged on January 13, 2011, with two counts of theft of
a motor vehicle by force, violence and intimidation; one count of use of a firearm in
furtherance of a crime of violence; and one count of being a convicted felon in possession
of a firearm.

• Reginald Anderson, 19, of Newark – charged on February 16, 2011, with theft of a motor
vehicle by force, violence and intimidation.

• Gregory Brown, 19, of Newark – charged on March 11, 2011, with two counts of theft of
a motor vehicle by force, violence and intimidation.

• Taj Elliot, 22, of Newark – charged on March17, 2011, with one count of conspiracy and
one count of theft of a motor vehicle by force, violence and intimidation.

• Jerome Conover, 19, of Irvington, N.J. – charged on March 17, 2011, with one count of
conspiracy and two counts of theft of a motor vehicle by force, violence and intimidation.

• David Jones, a/k/a “David Davis,” a/k/a “Nut,” 28, of East Orange, N.J. – charged on
March 18, 2011, with one count of theft of a motor vehicle by force, violence and
intimidation; one count of use of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime; and one
count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

• Maurice Williams, a/k/a “Mo,” 28, of Newark – charged on March 18, 2011, with one
count of theft of a motor vehicle by force, violence and intimidation and one count of use
of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.

• Jermaine May, a/k/a “Jungle,” 27, of Newark – charged on March 18, 2011, with one
count of theft of a motor vehicle by force, violence and intimidation and one count of use
of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.

The following individuals were charged with federal weapons offenses in connection with the
work of the task force:

• Ronald Chambers, 23, of Newark – charged on January 19, 2011, by Complaint with
being a convicted felon in possession of multiple firearms, after law enforcement,
executing an arrest warrant for him on local carjacking charges, found him in possession
of three firearms.

• Wayne Lewis, 22, of Newark – charged on January 26, 2011, by Complaint with being a
convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Lewis is also facing state charges.

• Jamal Mainor, 22, of Orange, N.J. – charged on February 4, 2011, by Indictment with
being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. At the time of the arrest, the defendant
was in a carjacked car in Jersey City, N.J.

The federal charge of carjacking carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in
prison; 25 years in prison if serious bodily injury results; and life in prison or the federal death
penalty if death results. The felon in possession charge carries a maximum potential penalty of
10 years in prison. The charge of conspiracy to commit carjacking carries a maximum penalty of
five years in prison. The charge of use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence carries a
minimum consecutive term of five years in prison if a firearm is possessed, seven years in prison
if a firearm is brandished, 10 years in prison if a firearm is discharged, and a maximum of life in
prison. Each of these charges also carries a maximum fine of $250,000.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited the members of the newly-formed task force with the
investigation leading to the charges.